The Grand Marais Harbor has a rich history, with many small artifacts left over that one can easily walk right on by without realizing what they are.

For instance, did you know that when walking along the breakwall out to the lighthouse, you can see remnants of a fire tower? Or that you can see what's left of a dock and anchor where large ships used to dock in the harbor?

These are just two of many examples of things you can see and learn about on our newly revived Harbor History Walking Tours!

Join CCHS's Interpretive Specialist, John, as he leads a tour every Friday from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. during the summer (weather permitting). Interested participants can meet outside the History Museum, and should be able to walk approximately a mile on uneven surfaces. Kids are welcome!

Tours are free and open to the public, with donations graciously accepted.

Funding for the Harbor History Walking Tours is courtesy of a Grand Marais Tourism Association Mini Grant and Visit Cook County MN.

The Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery is pleased to present Natural Gestures, a solo exhibition by Emily Donovan.

Drawing inspiration from the landscape, Donovan utilizes historical methods to forage and procure natural pigments from plants and insects, blending traditional craft with a modern approach to batik. Because each pigment is physically tied to the land, her paintings feature a "living mark" where materials like beeswax and organic dyes create unpredictable results. This collection is a visual “gesture” of respect and awe for nature's abilities.

Join us for the opening reception on Friday, June 19, featuring an artist talk at 6:00 PM exploring Donovan's natural dyeing process.

Learn more here.

Admission to JHP is free; donations are graciously accepted.

To see the most updated gallery hours, visit: https://www.cookcountyhistory.org/johnson-heritage-post-art-gallery

Minnesota author Michael Risku will present a comprehensive look at the commercial fishing industry that once defined North Shore communities from Knife River to Grand Portage, based on his new book, Following the Fish: A History of Commercial Fishing Along Minnesota's North Shore (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2026).

Drawing on oral histories and years of research, Risku explores the life of Indigenous fishers and Nordic immigrants, the geography that shaped their trade, and the eventual collapse of the industry.

Risku, who was born into a commercial fishing family and holds a Coast Guard captain’s license, is a professor emeritus from the University of the Incarnate Word and resides in Two Harbors.

Admission is free and open to the public, with donations graciously accepted.

This event is part of the Cook County Historical Society 2026 Speaker Series. Learn more: cookcountyhistory.org/2026-speaker-series

The Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery is pleased to present a solo exhibition by Logan Hudson, winner of the 2025 Grand Marais Plein Air "Best Body of Work" award, and first place in the 90-minute Birney Quick Paint. The exhibit will open with a reception on Friday, May 22, 2026, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., and will run through June 14, 2026.

Of the pieces in this exhibit, Hudson shared:

“Creating works for this show has been a way of studying this beautiful region many of us call home. It has given me the chance to dive deep into the familiar, relying on the subject directly as well as my memory of it.  My love lies here in the Midwest and the opportunity to create this show has only strengthened that love.”

Logan Hudson is an artist living in Traverse City, Michigan. His work consists primarily of oil paintings celebrating the landscape, and his work is grounded in the belief that painting is a documentation of a search for truth within a subject. His technical discipline allows the natural environment to lead the narrative, resulting in compositions that balance atmospheric sensitivity with structural rigmarole.

Plein Air Grand Marais is a premier week-long competition where artists capture the rugged landscapes of the North Shore and the Gunflint Trail. The 2026 event runs from September 11–19, featuring an awards ceremony and exhibition opening on September 18, with the full gallery exhibit remaining on display through November 1.

Admission to the gallery is free, with donations graciously accepted. 

For the most up-to-date gallery hours, visit: cookcountyhistory.org/johnson-heritage-post-art-gallery

The Cook County Historical Society is honored to present "Rural Women Lead the Way," a special temporary exhibit celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Violence Prevention Center (VPC). The exhibit will open on May 13, with a reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. that day.

The story of the VPC began in 1986. Originally known as the Cook County Women’s Collective, the organization started in a founder’s basement with just five volunteers. In those early days, the team shared a single borrowed pager to ensure someone was available 24/7 for those in crisis.

Four decades later, the VPC has evolved into a comprehensive resource providing advocacy and emergency services for survivors of intimate partner violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and abuse.

"Rural Women Lead the Way" will be on display through the end of 2026.

This display marks the debut of a new series at the Historical Society dedicated to the local organizations that have shaped the heart and resilience of our region.

Learn more: cookcountyhistory.org/vpc40

The snow is melting, and the trees are budding, which means it’s time for some spring cleaning to prepare a couple of our sites for the summer season!

This year, we are excited to announce that Bally Blacksmith & Metal Shop will join the History Museum, Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery, the replica fish house/Nee-Gee, and Chippewa City Church in maintaining regular summer hours.

While the Museum and JHP remained open throughout the winter, we need your help getting the Church and Blacksmith Shop "spruced up" and ready to open next month.

Chippewa City Church: May 9, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Tasks: General spring cleaning, landscaping maintenance, and checking on the progress of last year’s tree plantings.

Other opportunities

Bally Blacksmith Shop: April 18, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Tasks: Help match historic objects to their descriptions and give the shop a thorough seasonal sprucing.

Seasonal Volunteer Opportunities

We are also looking for recurring volunteers to help us keep these historic sites accessible to the public all summer long.

Bally Blacksmith & Metal Shop: Fridays, 12–2 p.m. & Saturdays, 2–4 p.m.

Church: Fridays 12–2 p.m. or 2–4 p.m. & Sundays 12–2 p.m. or 2–4 p.m.

Museum: Sundays 1–4 p.m.

Learn more or sign up here: cookcountyhistory.org/volunteer, or email history@boreal.org

The North Shore Artists League (NSAL) is pleased to announce its 7th Annual Member Show, "Stories Beneath the Snow: What Winter Hides, Spring Reveals," hosted at the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery.

The exhibition will open with a public reception on Friday, April 24, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and will remain on display through May 17, 2026. During the opening, at 6 pm, North Shore Artists League President James Ellis will be giving an artist talk, titled "The Unfolding Thaw: Stories Beneath the Snow".

This year’s theme, "Stories Beneath the Snow: What Winter Hides, Spring Reveals," invites regional artists to explore the transition of the northern landscape. The collection features a diverse range of mediums including oil and acrylic painting, photography, fiber arts, glass, and woodworking, reflecting the unique creative community of the Arrowhead Region and the North Shore of Lake Superior.

"The Annual Member Show is a cornerstone event for our league," says James Ellis, President of the North Shore Artists League.

"It provides a vital opportunity for our members—from seasoned professionals to passionate practitioners—to share their interpretations of the coastal environment and the seasonal shifts that define our home."

The opening reception on April 24 offers an opportunity for the public to meet the artists and celebrate the local talent that characterizes the North Shore art scene.

Admission to the gallery is free, though donations to the Cook County Historical Society, which operates the Johnson Heritage Post, are welcome.

To see the most up-to-date gallery hours, visit: cookcountyhistory.org/johnson-heritage-post-art-gallery

The snow is melting, and the trees are budding, which means it’s time for some spring cleaning to prepare a couple of our sites for the summer season!

This year, we are excited to announce that Bally Blacksmith & Metal Shop will join the History Museum, Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery, the replica fish house/Nee-Gee, and Chippewa City Church in maintaining regular summer hours.

While the Museum and JHP remained open throughout the winter, we need your help getting the Church and Blacksmith Shop "spruced up" and ready to open next month.

Bally Blacksmith Shop: April 18, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Tasks: Help match historic objects to their descriptions and give the shop a thorough seasonal sprucing.

Other opportunities

Chippewa City Church: May 9, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Tasks: General spring cleaning, landscaping maintenance, and checking on the progress of last year’s tree plantings.

Seasonal Volunteer Opportunities

We are also looking for recurring volunteers to help us keep these historic sites accessible to the public all summer long.

Bally Blacksmith & Metal Shop: Fridays, 12–2 p.m. & Saturdays, 2–4 p.m.

Church: Fridays 12–2 p.m. or 2–4 p.m. & Sundays 12–2 p.m. or 2–4 p.m.

Museum: Sundays 1–4 p.m.

Learn more or sign up here: cookcountyhistory.org/volunteer, or email history@boreal.org

Join the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery on Friday, March 27, from 5–7 p.m. for the opening of Line Shape Color, a solo exhibition by Steve Dahlstrom. After two decades focused on representational painting, Dahlstrom returns to his roots in abstraction with this collection. The exhibit explores the foundational rhythm of visual art through its most essential elements—line, shape, and color.

The reception is free and open to the public, with the show running through April 19.

Learn more about the gallery exhibit here.

To see the most up-to-date gallery hours, click here.

The Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery is excited to announce its upcoming exhibit, Winter Plein Air, an annual show featuring newly created winter landscape paintings. The collection includes works produced by artists participating in the 2026 Winter Plein Air Retreat, a five-day outdoor painting expedition at YMCA Camp Menogyn, hosted by the Outdoor Painters of Minnesota.

During the week leading up to the JHP exhibit, participating artists reside at a wilderness lodge and travel by ski or snowshoe to document the winter environment of the Gunflint Trail and the BWCAW. The resulting artwork is brought directly from the field to the gallery for this exhibit.

Winter Plein Air opens with a public reception on Friday, February 27, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at JHP. The exhibit runs through March 22nd.

In addition to the Winter Plein Air exhibit, JHP is pleased to feature Amber Burns as the March Local Artist of the Month.

During your visit to the gallery, the Cook County Historical Society (CCHS) invites you to participate in the "Letters to Our Future" project.

To see the most up-to-date JHP Gallery hours, click here.

Admission to the gallery is free, with donations graciously accepted.

The Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery is excited to announce our upcoming gallery exhibit, "From Our Hearts and Hands," featuring the diverse work of over 40 makers, highlighting a variety of fiber techniques from the Northwoods Fiber Guild.

The centerpiece of the show is the Cook County Chair of Hope, a collaborative project inspired by the "African Dream Chair" of South Africa. Created by more than 20 local artists using a recycled chair from Oddz and Endz thrift store, this piece focuses on unity and connection. Visitors are encouraged to physically interact with the piece by taking a moment to "sit a spell" and reflect on their hopes for the world while reading a journal that documents the artists' creative processes. Following its debut at the gallery, the Chair of Hope will continue its journey as a traveling symbol of connection throughout the county.

An opening reception will take place on Friday, January 30, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

During "Hygge Week," which runs from February 6 through February 16 and is hosted by Visit Cook County, the gallery will offer complimentary tea and hot chocolate served during regular hours.

Admission to the gallery is free, though donations are graciously accepted.

Learn more about the exhibit here.

For the most up-to-date gallery hours, please visit the JHP website.

Opening January 2, 2026, the gallery’s first major exhibition of the year offers a unique, immersive look at the last 100 years of life on the north shore. This exhibition, titled “Scenes of the North Shore,” bridges the gap between art and history by pairing historic and contemporary local works from the JHP permanent collection with physical artifacts from the Cook County Historical Society’s archives and even from the artists themselves.

An opening reception will take place on January 2 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The exhibit will run through January 25.

At the same time, from January 2 through the end of March, the Anna C. Johnson Permanent Collection Rotation will feature a fresh selection of works. This year’s rotation focuses specifically on the life of Anna and the Johnson family in Grand Marais. Along with artwork, the display will include family artifacts alongside Anna’s celebrated pieces, offering a personal glimpse into the heritage of the family and the artist.

Additionally, we have decided to extend our current December Artist of the Month through the end of January. This special exhibit is dedicated to honoring the lives and artistic contributions of two community members who have passed, Jane Burley and Tom Haas. And, for the first time, we are sharing a unique painting by local artist Birney Quick—a personal gift he gave to Burley—which was graciously donated by her family.

The JHP Art Gallery will be open during its regular hours this winter (Thurs–Sat 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., and Sun 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.), except for Dec. 25 & Jan. 1.

Admission to the Museum and JHP is free for all, with donations graciously accepted, but not required. 

For the most up-to-date gallery hours, visit: cookcountyhistory.org/johnson-heritage-post-art-gallery 

The Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery (JHP) is thrilled to present "Wonders of the North Shore & More," a photography exhibit running from December 5 through December 28, 2025.

The show features the work of fourth-generation Grand Marais photographer David Johnson, showcasing images of night skies, local landscapes, and wildlife captured along the North Shore of Lake Superior and within Cook County.

The exhibit's timing is designed to coincide with Visit Cook County's annual Dark Sky Festival (December 11-13), celebrating the region's designation as the world's largest certified International Dark Sky Sanctuary.

An opening reception will be held at JHP on Friday, December 5, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The exhibit will run through December 28.

To see the most up-to-date gallery hours, click here.

Stay tuned to social media and our email list for an announcement about our upcoming 2026 gallery exhibit schedule, including exciting details about the annual permanent archive exhibit and an Anna Johnson art rotation.

The Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery is pleased to host the 14th Annual Spirit of the Wilderness Episcopal Church Community Art Show, themed "Transitions: Navigating Change." 

This exhibition highlights how art serves as a necessary tool during times of instability, inviting both makers and viewers to engage with questions such as: How might creating and viewing art help us safely face life transitions? What role does public art play in providing insight, encouragement, and challenge during societal unrest? And what truly holds firm when everything is changing?

The resulting pieces reflect on these challenges and questions.

The exhibit runs through November 30, 2025. The Opening Reception is scheduled for Friday, November 7, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., and includes a special artist roundtable discussion at 6:00 p.m.

For the most up-to-date gallery hours, visit: cookcountyhistory.org/johnson-heritage-post-art-gallery

  The Historical Alliance of Cook County is excited to announce the third annual "Storytelling from the Back Roads of Cook County," on October 11, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts. The event will feature speakers from members of the alliance representing the different areas throughout Cook County. Schroeder Area Historical Society, Tofte Historical Society, Cook County Historical Society, and Gunflint Trail Historical Society/Chik Wauk Nature Center make up the Historical Alliance.

As part of the event, Margaret Hedstrom will deliver a presentation concerning the history and ongoing preservation efforts related to the historic fishing tug, the Nee-Gee.

David Hakensen, a communications consultant and the immediate past president of the Minnesota Historical Society, will also be presenting. He will discuss his new biography, Her Place in the Woods: The Life of Helen Hoover.

Katie O'Gara will read excerpts from an interview between Beryl Singleton Bissell and Mary T. Bell, whose book, Cutting Across Time, details the history of logging, rafting, and milling in the Lake Superior region. Bell is also the author of food preservation books and co-founder of Eagle Bluff, an environmental learning center in southeastern Minnesota.

The fourth speaker is Mark Gordon, co-founder of the nonprofit Amicus Adventure Sailing and Sea Change Expeditions, a mission that uses sailing voyages on Lake Superior to promote climate change engagement. Based in Two Harbors, Mark also teaches at the North House Folk School, sharing his family's commitment to an intentional lifestyle focused on climate solutions.

Laurie Spry will be the MC for the event.

To learn more, visit: cookcountyhistory.org/third-annual-storytelling

The Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery is excited to announce its next gallery exhibit, "Days to Remember," featuring Minnesota artists Kurt Schulzetenberg and Nelia Harper French. The exhibit opens on Friday, October 10, with a reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., and runs through Sunday, November 2, 2025.

Kurt Schulzetenberg works primarily en plein-air (painting outdoors) in an impressionistic style, often capturing the light and atmosphere of the North Shore.

Nelia Harper French uses various media, including oil and pastel, after studying the classical atelier method. Her work includes naturalistic landscapes and compelling portraits focused on capturing the "essence of time, place, and space.”

The combined work aims to create a reflection on memory and time, showcasing the artists' shared goal of expressing the beauty of the world around them.

To learn more, visit: cookcountyhistory.org/art-exhibit-days-to-remember

Nelia Harper French is a fiscal year 2025 recipient of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

For the most up-to-date gallery hours, visit: cookcountyhistory.org/johnson-heritage-post-art-gallery

Art Along the Lake is an annual, self-guided free studio tour held in Cook County and Grand Portage, Minnesota, beginning September 26 through October 5. The year's event features over 35 local artists and five galleries (including JHP!)

The purpose of the tour is to allow visitors to meet local artists, see their working studios, and purchase original art.

To celebrate, JHP will be serving up fall in the form of apple cider, and we're extending our hours to be open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. September 26th - October 5th. Currently, our main gallery exhibit features work from over 60 artists who participated in the 2025 Plein Air Grand Marais Competition Class, with last year’s winner, Neil Sherman, serving as the juror for the event. Each painter was able to submit up to four pieces.

We will also have pieces from our September Local Artist of the Month, Mary Bebie, until the 30th. At that point, our October Local Artist of the Month will be announced.

If you haven't seen the newly donated original Anna Johnson painting, "Woman Hauling Sticks," and learned about its mysterious history, now is your chance! The painting will only be on display through October 5 before it goes back into our archives until a later date!

To learn more about Art Along the Lake and see other participating galleries and local artists, visit: https://artalongthelake.com/

Learn more about the Plein Air Grand Marais gallery exhibit: https://www.cookcountyhistory.org/plein-air-2025

Learn more about our September Local Artist of the month: https://www.cookcountyhistory.org/mary-bebie-september-aom

Learn more about "Woman Hauling Sticks," here: https://www.cookcountyhistory.org/woman-with-sticks

Join the Cook County Historical Society as we celebrate 100 years of preserving and sharing the stories of the area.

We'll be kicking off the evening with our annual meeting at 4:30 p.m. Members and non-members are welcome to join and hear what we've been up to this past year!

At 5:00 p.m., live music will begin before dinner at 5:30 p.m. Attendees will have the option to choose from three different entrees; planked trout, homemade fish cakes, or vegetable lasagna. 

Sides for all entrees include roasted vegetables, coleslaw, bread, and for dessert, carrot cake from Crosby Bakery. Lemonade, coffee, and water will be available as well. Please note that food is not prepared in a dedicated gluten or dairy-free environment.

Special thanks to North Superior Fisheries, who will provide the fish cake batter, as well as catching the trout for the Planked Trout; Crosby Bakery for providing Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese frosting; South of the Border Cafe for providing coleslaw; the Cook County Co-op for providing and baking assorted root vegetables, Margaret Hedstrom for sponsoring the vegetarian lasagna, North House Folk School for providing the venue, and Monica Anderson and Ed Hedstrom for providing flowers and table decorations.

Reservations required. Order tickets here.